Blog 2 – Functions And Divisions In A Hotel And How They Relate To The Room Divisions.

According to a number of authors, many full-service hotels have six specific functional departments and divisions which form the backbone of all operations in an establishment. Even though many hotels may outline these under different headings or further divide and split each function according to their organisational criteria, it must be remembered that the overall definition remains true to the six functional categories listed in diagram 2.

Brief discussion of each function:

The functional departments can also be divided into front and back of house operations as illustrated in diagram 2. In the front of house cluster are all operational functions that have high level of guest contact and interaction. This group consists of:

• Rooms Division – Ismail (2002, p.97) describes the rooms division as the “nerve centre” for most hotel’s operations and perfectly states “Everything Begins with the Rooms Division” since guests main purpose of visit to a hotel is for lodging. Speaking from personal experience, I feel this is a perfect definition of how the rooms division operate at the Hilton on Park Lane. They are the reception for guests, the main purpose of their visit, and also the source of all information.

• Sales & Marketing – This department is setup to ensure the hotel maximises the revenue impact by ensuring they are continually filling rooms and making the most out of every available revenue source. (Ismail 2002, p.104)

The Hilton on Park Lane generally has an excellent room turnover and therefore focuses marketing their Michelin Starred Galvin Restaurant as well as afternoon tea offers and promotions at Podium. Our conferencing and banqueting provisions is also one of the biggest in the UK, and therefore it is important for us to fill this space on a daily basis to maximise on revenue from this space.

• Food and Beverage – The main responsibilities for the food and beverage department are the kitchen(s), restaurant(s), lounge/bar(s) and room service within a hotel establishment. (Ismail 2002, p.101)

The Hilton on Park Lane boast a Michelin Starred Galvin at Window Restaurant and Bar as well as a seasonal contemporary Restaurant and Bar called Podium. The F&B department also provides banquet catering for meetings, special events and weddings. The third division of the F&B function provides in-house catering to rooms as per guest request. And finally the fourth division is the catering provisions set up in the staff canteen.

In the back of house cluster exists all operational departments that have the least guest interaction. These are as follows:

• Human Resource – Ensures every department in the hotel has enough staff with the right personnel in the right place (Ismail 2002, p.102). HR also oversees all processes leading to recruitment and career progression as well as establishing pay and incentives.

• Engineering – Foresees all repairs and running of the internal and external hotel structure and equipment, as well as continually monitoring and inspecting various aspects of the hotel as a preventative measure. This function is also responsible for supervising any work carried out by external contractors and minimising the impact on hotel guests during major renovations (Ismail 2002, p.103).

• Accounting – Upholds the financial responsibilities of the hotel by managing and monitoring revenue against expenditure. Their role affects every department when acquiring equipment, and also guests that hold a credit account with the hotel. Another duty is to process cash revenues and control different currency intake (Ismail 2002, p.103).

Investigate and explain in-depth the rooms’ division element of the hotel and how the various functions inter-relate with each other:

The rooms division plays a critical role in managing and conveying all guest information to other departments, as well as handling the in/out flow of guests on a daily basis. This is also the most profitable function for hotels and where majority of investment is required because besides the fact of providing lodging and professional guest services such as check in, concierge, luggage handling and room upkeep, the rooms’ division personnel must also provide a caring consistent feeling to guests so they feel at home even though they are not. Therefore providing uniquely decorated spotless dwelling furthermore enhances the guest experience and promotes Hotel standards (Casado 2000, p.13)

The Rooms Division profitability is aided by the performance of the sales and marketing department as their actions are key to locking in group sales and transient sales (reservation). Therefore it is vital that the sales team are continually interacting with the front desk and housekeeping of the rooms division to ensure they can accommodate a group reservation, as well as also being able to meet additional demands such as guaranteed early check-in and/or late check-out. The interaction between both departments will ensure rooms are readily available at the required times and have been prepared impeccably (Casado 2000, p.23).

The F&B room service function must also cooperate with the rooms’ division front desk and housekeeping, so that guests receive what they request at the front desk and the rooms are cleared out by housekeeping after a food service has been provided. Housekeeping laundry also provides soiled uniform and linen cleaning services to the F&B departments (Jones 2002, p.39; Casado 2000, p.22).

When the rooms division needs an employee, they request it from the human resource function. Upon receiving the request, HR advertises for the position, pre-screens the candidate, conducts first interview and checks the references. The final candidates are then interviewed by the departmental manager in the rooms division (Casado 2000, p.21).

With the rooms division personnel being the front line of operations mean they are also one of the first to witness any maintenance issues. It is imperative that everything is in working order before a guest accommodates a room to give the best first impression and satisfaction. Therefore rooms division are responsible for reporting maintenance issues to engineers as soon as possible to get it resolved quickly so the room can be put into service again minimising lost revenue opportunity (Jones 2002, p.38; Casado 2000, p.18).

The main interaction between rooms division and accounting function takes place when ordering equipment and supplies for the department. Also each department within the rooms division is responsible for reporting all information regarding wages and salaries to accounting, including adjustments for overtime, sick leave and bonuses.

Final Thoughts

In this blog we have explored and identified the various functions and divisions in a hotel. I started by mind mapping (diagram 1) from my personal work experience, I then went on to build a more accurate picture of the various functions using primary and secondary research (diagram 2). I then followed up the diagram with a brief look at each function before analysing the link between the rooms division and the other functions. I hope you find this blog useful.

Bibliography

Casado,M., (2000). Housekeeping Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons,Inc.

Ismail, A., (2002). Front office operations and management. United States of America: Thomson Delmar.

Jones, P., (2002). Introduction to hospitality operations. 2^nd ed. London: YHT Ltd.